The Pragna Dye Chem Pvt. Ltd. factory located in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India, manufactures drug intermediates for API and bulk drugs, using nine chillers with single cooling tower. From that cooling tower, the factory uses five different outlets to run the nine chillers. However, due to the materials involved, hard water scaling on the chiller condenser remained and ongoing issue. Maintaining operations required weekly shutdowns, excessive labor, and costly expense. A new solution was necessary.

A PERSISTENT PROBLEM

Pragna Dye Chem was using chemicals and salt softener to treat top-up water in the cooling tower. In spite of this process, the factory needed to clean the chiller condenser every fourth day, brushing the condenser copper tubes and oil cooler copper tubes—a time-consuming operation. 

Adding to the cleaning expenses of the shutdowns, to maintain the appropriate temperature Pragna Dye Chem needed to run another 50 TR chiller parallel to the one being cleaned, paying a lot electricity charges as well.

FINDING A SOLUTION

To solve this problem, Pragna Dye Chem chose to cover one cooling tower motor outlet with a Scalewatcher IE8 Model on the 4-inch OD PPRC pipe to prevent the hard water scaling issue for the Voltas screw chiller. The IE8 Model was installed on July 3, 2022, with an initial test run scheduled out for nineteen days.

EVALUATION AFTER INSTALLATION 

Following the Scalewatcher installation and the cleaning of condenser, factory technicians opened the condenser after the nineteen-day initial evaluation period concluded. No scale was observed in the condenser. Given the initial evaluation’s success, Pragna Dye Chem changed cooling tower water, cleaned condenser, and prepared for a longer evaluation period under normal factory conditions from July through December. 

From the end of the initial evaluation period in July to December 29, 2022, Pragna Dye Chem didn’t clean the condenser for a total of 154 days. For a closer inspection, factory technicians opened the condenser on December 25 for camera insertion. However, upon seeing no scaling, they closed the condenser without cleaning and allowed it to continue running. 

ADDED BENEFITS

In the factory’s current layout, one cooling tower makes use of five outlets, and operators have only needed to cover one outlet with the Scalewatcher to see the benefit. The factory also reported added benefits on another chiller condenser getting the same treated water from the cooling tower, reducing its cleaning and maintenance.

Additionally, without the added electricity cost of running the parallel chiller every four days during pre-installation condenser cleaning, Pragna Dye Chem saw a return on investment that paid for the Scalewatcher unit in only sixty days. 

Post-installation, the Scalewatcher has run with zero maintenance, no chemical consumables, and no additional services of any kind. For both the client and the installation team, this project exceeded expectations to become a huge success.

PROJECT PROFILE

  • Client: Pragna Dye Chem Pvt. Ltd.
  • Location: Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India.  
  • Problem: Condenser and oil cooler copper tubes required cleaning every four days, as well need to run parallel another 50 TR chiller to maintain temperature.
  • Solution: Scalewatcher IE8 model on cooling tower pump outlet; 4-inch OD PPRC pipe for 150 TR Voltas screw chiller.

PROJECT TIMELINE

  • July 3, 2022: Scalewatcher IE8 Model installed on the 4-inch OD PPRC pipe.
  • July 21, 2022: Initial evaluation conducted. Cooling tower water replaced. No scaling issue identified after nineteen days, but technicians suggested cleaning the condenser. Condenser cleaned on the same day.  
  • July 21—December 25, 2022:  Evaluation running continues with 154 days and still running.
  • Conclusion: Still running, Pragna Dye Chem has not cleaned the condenser tubes. Instead, factory technicians monitor for scaling every fourth day—instead of required cleaning.

PROJECT ROI

Energy Auditor Report of Pragna Dye Chem Pvt. Ltd.

  • Efficiency increase: Reduce use of 50 TR chiller due to extraordinary performance of 150 TR chiller
  • Monthly projected electrical savings: $2,000
  • Annual projected electrical savings: $24,000
  • Annual projected chemical savings: $2,200
  • Payback period of Scalewatcher: 60 days 

PROJECT BENEFITS

  • Reduced use of chemical by 50 percent.
  • Number of shutdowns reduced.
  • Condenser and oil cooler tube life extended.
  • Reduced labor cost.
  • Increased production uptime.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Jan de Baat Doelman is president of Scalewatcher. The Scalewatcher is an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical and mechanical descaling. Launched in the 1980s it has successfully treated hard water problems for industrial manufacturers as well as water companies, oil producers, farmers, horticulturists, shipping companies, shopping centers, school, universities, and government establishments. For more information, call 610.932.6888, email sales@scalewatcher.com, or visit www.scalewatcher.com.

MODERN PUMPING TODAY, April 2023
Did you enjoy this article?
Subscribe to the FREE Digital Edition of Modern Pumping Today Magazine!